Using Herbal Honey Remedy for Colds; Boosts Immune System

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 at 4:11 pm

By: Daniel Stevens, October 23rd, 2011
NaturalLiving360

The winter months are fast approaching, and it’s that time of year when some of us will come down with that nasty cold or flu. One way to fight colds and boost your immune system is with herbal honey. It’s a food that has been used in many cultures for a very long time and has medicinal purposes as well.

Ayurvedic medicine, which is practiced in India, has long known about using raw honey combined with herbs to heal tissue and cells. It was also widely used by Egyptians in the past who listed honey as an ingredient in many of their natural remedies.

It’s even used by hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. They use honey from Manuka trees to help treat MRSA superbugs which are resistant to antibiotics. The honey that comes from bees pollinating these Mahuka trees is thought to have some of the highest levels of anti-microbial activity when compares with all honeys.

The honey you use to infuse with your herbs must be raw honey. We’re not talking about honey you buy in the grocery store which is pasteurized. When honey goes through the pasteurization process, it winds up destroying all the enzymes and living properties in it which make it so effective as a medicinal treatment for colds and flu.

Adding herbs to honey boosts the healing properties and adds extra health benefits to it. Herbal honey can be made at home by cutting up fresh herbs and infusing them with raw honey for a few weeks.

Making Your Own Homemade Raw Herbal Honey

Warning: Make sure that you do not give honey to infants 2 years old or under. It does have a very small amount of botulism and the infants immune system can’t withstand it, and they do not have any stomach acids to digest these botulism spores.

The first step in making your own herbal honey is to pick which herb you are going to infuse in the raw honey. It is recommended that you choose a dry herb, because if the herbs are moist and wet, they tend to go bad faster. The only exception to this would be garlic cloves and ginger root.

The following is a list of 10 common herbs which are known to be effective against fighting colds, flu and sore throats:

Cinnamon
Dandelion
Garlic
Ginger
Lemon Balm
Lavender
Peppermint
Rose Petal
Rosemary
Thyme

You can also make you honey based on your favorite herbal flavor, but these ten are known to help fight cold and flu.

1. Get yourself an 8 oz. mason jar and fill the jar up about a quarter of the way with the your herb of choice.

2. Now take your raw honey and completely cover the herbs and keep pouring till the honey reaches the top of the lid rings.

3. Make sure to pop any air bubbles with a stick. These will make the honey go bad faster. Take a chopstick or any kind of stirring stick to stir it around and mix in the herbs and honey.

4. Fill up the jar with more raw honey as the some of the honey will settle with the herbs after mixing. Cover the jar and label it so you know what herb is infused with the raw honey.

5. Stir your honey everyday for one week and then allow it to infuse for two more weeks. If you don’t want to open the lid and stir it, you can turn the bottle upside down and then right side up a few times a day.

How Long Does Raw Honey Last?

There is no difference between raw honey and regular pasteurized honey when it comes down to shelf life. If it is properly stores, it can be eaten for years after it is harvested. The honey can crystallize, but will still be safe eat. Both organic and regular honey can ferment when exposed to air and it could develop a bad taste if this happens.

Watch the following video as John Gallagher of LearningHerbs.com and Mountain Rose Herbs shows you how to make herbal honey with lavender.